


it only takes one (word)

by ghostellie



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:28:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25720585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostellie/pseuds/ghostellie
Summary: 31 Haikyuu drabbles & oneshots, based off of one word prompts.1 - dawn (sugawara)2 - afloat (kenma)
Kudos: 4





	1. dawn

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is a bit bittersweet, but it was supposed to be all warm and fluffy...well, what can I say? I love angst, angst loves me.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sugawara Kōshi is accompanied only by the dawn and the birds who sing their morning songs.

When he first woke up, the world around him was near silent. The curtains were drawn closed, the light in the room dimmed down. The AC was running, and the chilly air nipped at his bare skin, sending shivers up his back.

He shifts, stretching his body out across the bed. Only half attentive and still dazed from sleep, he stumbles to the bathroom. His muscles _ache_ from the previous days volleyball practice.

When he stared into the bathroom mirror, a pair of tired eyes stared back. Ruffled grey hair, too-dark under eye bags, and a chest covered in sheet imprints was all he saw.

Yawning, he goes about his morning as he usually does, brushing his teeth and tidying up his hair. By the time his phone alarm goes off, telling him _it’s time to leave!_ goes off, he’s already fully-dressed and stepping out the front door.

It’s only dawn, now, with the top edges of the sun barely rising above the horizon. Birds soar through the sky, flying high, their songs ringing out through the warm air for everyone to hear. In his still tired, sleep-addled state, he curses himself.

Daichi had warned him not to take any early morning classes — _“You’ll regret it, you know. You’re not a morning person.”_ — but since when did he ever listen to Daichi?

University is strange, he muses. He misses Karasuno, he misses _home_. He wonders how the others are faring without him, Daichi, and Asahi.

He wonders how the now second years will deal with the new first years. He worries for the third years — they’ll be under more pressure than ever, now, and though he has no doubt Tanaka and Nishinoya can handle it, he worries that Ennoshita or Narita will snap underneath the stress.

He worries about a lot of things, these days. About his job and school and paying the bills.

He worries about himself. What he’ll do after university, whether or not he’ll make it through the rest of the semester without shattering into a million pieces.

He’s in university now — he should feel free and alive, and yet all he feels is the weight of the world and the hollow feeling in his chest when he thinks of where he was several months ago, playing volleyball and smiling and _crying_ with his friends.

Sugawara Kōshi is no longer a third year volleyball setter at Karasuno high. He’s a university student, now, with far too much stress in his life and a whole lot of regret.

On this morning, he’s just a tired, melancholy soul walking to his morning Calculus class, his only friends the rising sun and the crows searching in the fields.


	2. afloat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kozume Kenma wishes he could stay afloat.

The sun burns away on his pale skin, and in that moment, he feels more like a _baked potato_ than anything else.

The water is cooling, at least, where his legs hang over each side of the surfboard, the ocean water lapping against his calves.

His eyes still burn with the salt-water residue, and when he runs a hand through his wet hair, it feels sticky and icky and _boy will that be a pain to wash!_

The waves have died down, yet he doesn’t feel like swimming back to shore. Not yet. He’d rather stay out here, afloat, preoccupied with his own little world.

He lays down, chest against the board, and closes his eyes. With the heat of the sun always comes exhaustion — if he doesn’t fall asleep here and now, he has no doubt he’ll pass out the second they return to the large beach house all three teams had rented for the week.

They’re supposed to be playing beach volleyball, not whatever-it-is-they’re-doing-now. As far as he knows, from opening his eyes and squinting heavily at the thin nets in the distance, most of Karasuno, with exception of Shoyou and that 3rd year setter Sugawara, are the only ones truly practicing.

Something brushes against his leg, and he startles. Preparing himself for some ferocious shark or evil fish plotting to rip off his leg — _“I’ll never play volleyball again!”_ — He looks down. His panic fades the second he realizes it’s merely a sea bass swimming by, going about it’s fishy business. Almost unconsciously, he smiles, giving the fish a little wave and a soft _“goodbye!”_ as it swims off.

Then he looks around. If the sharks _do_ come for him, he’ll see them coming!

“Kozume!”

The cat-like teen looks over, his gaze quickly zeroing in on the tangerine-looking boy who’d called his name. Hinata stands on the shore, jumping up and down like a rabbit, arms waving through the air.

Kuroo is not far off from him, talking to Bokuto and licking at an ice cream cone. When he notices Kenma looking in his direction, he turns and waves, with the owl-haired captain following suit.

Kenma shoots one last glance across the ocean, and sighs. He supposes he should head back to shore now, if only to keep Shoyou company.

After all, it’s not as if he can stay afloat forever, right?


End file.
